MLS Monday Review: Attendance Issues Discussed

Attendance throughout MLS outside of the success stories of Toronto and Seattle are way down. For years, MLS has inflated its attendance numbers through various schemes but this season the attendance figures are actually passing the eyeball test for the first time in the league’s fourteen year history. TV ratings on ESPN2 are slightly up from last year: still well below where they need to be but at least the ten year decline in MLS ratings from 1998 to 2008 (with the exception of a spike in 2002 and in late 2007) appears to have bottomed out and we are now recovering. Still ESPN bears much of the blame for under promoting MLS (including the most recent outrage, scrolling FMF and EPL scores during mainstream sporting events like College Basketball and MLB Baseball while ignoring MLS) and publicaly aiming for completely unrealistic viewership levels.

Also, some chronically under performing markets like New England and New Jersey produced respectable numbers relative to the established low standard of both franchises early this season. Chivas USA actually has drawn better than expected and the actual
(not reported) crowd numbers in Kansas City are probably the highest since MLS began play in 1996.

But it’s MLS’ two most successful historical franchises where the real worrying trend has taken place. DC United and LA Galaxy are victims of two major problems which are now giving both clubs their lowest early season crowds in recent memory.

The first is MLS’ desire to force parity on the league. We discussed this two weeks ago when the two giants of this league faced off at the Home Depot Center. The two clubs which dominated the early days of the league have been forced to essentially give away players and help the rest of the league for years.

In DC’s case it’s been with players: Kevin Payne probably had a better Latin American scouting network in the late 90s and early part of this decade than the rest of the league’s clubs combined. Through this good work though, DC’s efforts to enhance the league helped other teams perhaps more than United itself: either through salary cap related moves, or the extreme fixture congestion DC faced for competing in CONCACAF and COMNEBOL club competitions which made the side whose squad numbers were restricted unable to hold up late in the 2005, 2006 and 2007 MLS seasons.

In the case of the Los Angeles Galaxy they have financially supported the league’s less successful clubs for years. Two things have kept MLS financially viable: Mexican National Team/Club friendlies and the aggressive marketing worldwide of the LA Galaxy. The Galaxy deserve commendation for stepping out and taking the risks involved with signing David Beckham which opened the flood gates for other significant players to sign in MLS. It also gave MLS a credibility the league never previously had earned.

But the Galaxy have been punished by the salary and squad limits of MLS for trying to build a club that would be marketable abroad and with casual sports fans in the United States. The Galaxy’s gamble to elevate MLS’ profile has been rewarded with contempt by fans of other clubs and little room to maneuver under the league’s cumbersome and restrictive rules.

Secondly, bad press unrelated to on the pitch performance has hurt both clubs. The league office was unable to properly contain the damage of the David Beckham transfer/loan saga, and the public mistakes of Don Garber hurt the Galaxy and its ticket sales more than it hurt the league itself. Quite frankly, I find that far from fair when it comes down to it.

Then we have the continued attack on DC United’s stadium efforts by the Washington Post, the national political paper of record. The Post has recently supported heavy taxpayer funding of infrastructure related projects on the national level but seems to be leading a crusade against United’s efforts to be treated with the same fundamental fairness that less successful and less popular local professional sports clubs have been granted. This is all the more baffling because the Post employs the best Soccer writer in the country, Steven Goff, whose blog site is my first daily read on the beautiful game each and every morning.

While the Post raised some objections to the taxpayer funding of the MCI Center in Downtown Washington and the Nationals Baseball Stadium they generally were fairer and more representative of public opinion than they have been on the issue of United’s Stadium. As someone who reads the Post every day for political news, and for Goff’s blog, I have been incensed by the treatment the other Post writers have given the club since the Poplar Point Stadium site was first debated.

The standard the Post has applied to judging the value of building a stadium for United was not the same standard applied to the Capitols, Bullets/Wizards, and Nationals. It’s not the same standard either that the paper has previously applied to local infrastructure projects like the rebuilding of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, the new terminal at National Airport or proposed/recently completed extensions of the Metrorail.

I would hope the Post’s Metro Desk looks back at previous reporting on similar issues in the past and takes a fairer stand towards DC United. The Post’s reporting and editorializing has hurt attendance: in fact I believe it is a bigger factor than the economy in the downturn the Red and Black are facing at the gate.

OTHER WEEK THREE THOUGHTS:

Seattle is pretty good. I’m getting closer and closer to saying I was wrong about Freddie Ljunberg. But I want to see if he can hold up on artificial turf.

DC United played well in front of sparse crowd the evening before yet another Washington Post Editorial regarding the stadium situation.

Houston is still struggling with DeRo. No need to panic just yet though.

FC Dallas is really bad. HSG has to bear the responsibility for firing Colin Clarke (whose Puerto Rico Islanders play in a pretty big game tomorrow night) and Steve Morrow when both coaches were getting the most out of the talent brought in for them by the ownership.

Steve Ralston, an MLS original can still change a game when he’s healthy. Shalrie Joseph is still playing at a high level.

Conor Casey and Omar Cummings developed a connection late last season when Gary Smith replaced Fernando Clavijo. That connection continues to reap dividends for the Rapids this season.

Bruce Arena has a lot of work to do with the Galaxy, but the situation isn’t as desperate as it may appear. Bringing in Gregg Berhalter will solidify the central defense and give the Galaxy an aerial option on set pieces. If the Galaxy can bring in an influential midfielder soon, the team could still improve dramatically.

Real Salt Lake is still a better bet to win the west than Seattle despite losing to them last week. RSL’s depth and quality at the back will make the difference.

Kansas City looked sharp in the victory over San Jose. No surprise there, considering it was at home and the weather was awful.

Preki’s magic touch continues to impress with an injury plagued squad. Moreover we’ve learned Zach Thornton can still be a decent keeper in MLS if his backline keeps its shape well.

About Kartik Krishnaiyer

A lifelong lover of soccer, the beautiful game, he served from January 2010 until May 2013 as the Director of Communications and Public Relations for the North American Soccer League (NASL).
Raised on the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the old NASL, Krishnaiyer previously hosted the American Soccer Show on the Champions Soccer Radio Network, the Major League Soccer Talk podcast and the EPL Talk Podcast.
His soccer writing has been featured by several media outlets including The Guardian and The Telegraph. He is the author of the book Blue With Envy about Manchester City FC.
View all posts by Kartik Krishnaiyer →

40 Responses to MLS Monday Review: Attendance Issues Discussed

DC’s first home game was played about an hour after all-day-rain subsided. DC’s second home game was on National Cherry Blossom Festival Saturday – I dont think the cherries poached a whole lot of fans, but they made anyone using metro to attend a game think twice, and maybe decide to stay home.

DC has alot of walk-ups, and those factors probably enticed many to skip it.

As to this: “Two things have kept MLS financially viable: Mexican National Team/Club friendlies and the aggressive marketing worldwide of the LA Galaxy”…wow, no.

So now the Post is one of your villains? Classic. And when was the last time DC or LA was “forced” to give up a player. You can’t use 1999 excuses to explain problems in 2009. You just can’t. And I have always seen MLS scores on the scroll when they are playing. You would think a soccer fan would enjoy seeing other leagues added to that space, but you always need something to complain about.

The Post has been slanted no doubt. Living in the DC area I can say that. For some reason Baseball and Hockey getting public money is better use of taxpayer money than soccer? That’s what they say if you read between the lines.

kartik, this is a shocking, and i mean shocking column coming from you.

for a long time now you have bashed mls and the galaxy when things appeared to be good. now that many of your statements proved to be prophetic you are acting like a typical soccer fan, no offense by circling the wagons and blaming the media for hating soccer.

you fail to mention 11,000 in salt lake, 6,000 in kansas city, 11,000 for the season opener in chicago?????????? and chivas reported 12,000 when the crowd looked like about 500.

why are you now making excuses for mls? did someone at league hq say, “kartik we’re tired of you telling the truth and giving your opinion, now spin for us?”

Concerning the Galaxy, I conducted an interview with Tony Sanneh last weekend. He told a joke about the Galaxy back line having 16 years of pro experience. He said, the only problem is, I have 15 years of that experience. So I had to laugh when they picked up Berhalter. The back line experience immediately goes to 30 years + or something near that.

I agree on the Post, but understand the new DC ownership group hasn’t helped. But the Post’s writing does reflect an elite American media anti soccer bias. No question about it. I have read some of the same articles and asked if it were the Redskins or Wizards would they be wrting this.

But to assume MLS was recession proof as many like MLS Rumors, and other blog sites claimed was silly. The truth is simple and harsh: MLS is a lower quality league. You can scream all you want and say “it’s our league,” “it’s our league” but when dollars are tight, even spending a little money on family entertainment better be worth it. USL is no doubt going to run into the same problem.

Many families would rather just spend the money on MLS tickets on an extra cable tier, get FSC and GOL TV towatch the Prem and La Liga for maybe 1/8th of what it costs a family to go to a MLS game when you include gas and food.

It’s no wonder that FSC’s EPL ratings are much much much higher than anticpated.

Kartik, didn’t you claim MLS had more viewers than the EPL a year ago but that they were just less vocal and in your face? The nielson ratings have proven you very wrong on this count. You did state the FMF has more viewers than the Prem and you were correct there. But MLS either has to give away tickets or the attendance save Seattle and Toronto is going to continue to tank.

Let me state Sanneh still playing is amazing. An under appreciated great of the US game who came up through USL/A-League and then MLS before going to Germany and dominating in the 2002 World Cup. Anyone recall the cross to McBride against Portugal? Apparently they had worked on that in their USL/A-League days in Milwaukee!

Fan and Reds,
You really have no idea what you are talking about on the Washington Post issue. They have a few reporters who seem dedicated to protesting any stadium United wants to build. Marc Fisher(sp?) cranks out an article every week calling for the stadium to be canceled/scrapped and invariably they are poorly researched and full of half-truths. Kartik reported on this pretty accurately. In regards to DC losing players, 2004 resulted in 3 players being taken, 06 and 07 had Dyachenko and Brian Carrol being taken as well. When you only have 20 some players, it becomes hard to replace quality depth when you can’t pay those players.

Kartik is spot on with the Post’s reporting of the DC United stadium issue. He is not exaggerating at all. Every week there is another anti-soccer stadium column from someone or other. Couple that with lots and lots of discrepancies, inaccuracies, and boo-boos with respect to the facts of the situation. Mark Fisher, the local issues columnist, is a huge, huge baseball fan. He went on for pages and pages about how great the baseball stadium will be for everyone blah blah blah. He hates soccer. So he goes on and on and on talking about what a waste of taxpayer dollars and a bad deal and so on the soccer stadium would be. It’s a tired old story.

Kartik, I haven’t been thrilled with some of your other anti MLS posts, but you’ve redeemed yourself and more with this.

I’ve been waiting for the blogosphere to actually do its job and take the Post to task for its constant and orchestrated campaign against DC United’s stadium dreams.

As Eric and Cavan said, it’s been a steady, endless stream of negative articles about any stadium site. At the same time the paper pushed the Nationals stadium over the top, cleverly building credibility by raising early objections and then claiming the plan’s flaws had been fixed.

I had not even thought about the other things you mention: the extension of the Metro, the new bridge, and so on and so forth.

The thing that the paper doesn’t hide well is that they have consistently raised objections to any DC United stadium site anywhere its been discussed.

Yes, the paper does reflect the typically elitist American media view that soccer is for foreigners and needs to be taken down a peg or two. The fact that United has for years outdrawn the Capitols and now the Nationals is a very telling and important factor in their desire to destroy the team and the marketplace for soccer.

The paper is more concerned about what opinion leaders and other media types think inside the beltway than anything: these people love Baseball and the Redskins and many rail against soccer as an immigrant sport. Some complain about the number of latins they have to share metro trains with on nights of games at RFK.

The lily white crowd that attends the Capitols games has to share trains with Latins and they hate it. The Post plays to this sentiment and also to the NIMBYs who are scared of a bunch of Bolivians showing up in their neighborhood when United plays.

This piece had to be written. I congratulate you, Kartik on this important piece.

It’s also very much an age thing. The Post’s writers and editors didn’t grow up with the game so don’t understand or care that United draws lots of fans from all different backgrounds. There few middle-aged guys there who aren’t there with children (supporters’ club members excepted! You guys rule.). However, there are always plenty of people from my age range that took the Metro with a group of friends who grew up playing the game and are happy to cheer for the local pro team.

Fwiw, the statement “For years, MLS has inflated its attendance numbers through various schemes” is true, but it’s also true for other leagues. I know for a fact that NBA teams count “tickets distributed” which leads to similarly slanted number that can lead us to think that the Grizzlies actually fill 70% of their stadium every night.

So, it’s nice that the league’s number are passing the eyeball test now, and I agree that there are a litany of reasons for why attendance has suffered, but it’s wrong for commentators to disparage the league because of its attendance-counting techniques.

Has it ever occurred to you that while the soccer media protects MLS in this country, the embarrassing performance in CONCACAF and the proliferation of the availability of European football on TV has eroded MLS’ credibility?

You’ve written about it yourself on CONCACAF time and time again. I think MLS credibility has been totally undermined.

A few Chicago specific comments. Attendance was announced at 11,600. That must of pretty much pre-sale which is good. Needless to say nowhere near that # showed up.

Blanco did not play at all. Maybe the contract issues are deeper then anyone knows but the Fire are leading the division without Blance effectively so far this season. On further review a card was necessary on Thorrington’s foul but I think a red came about due to a disagreement he had with the ref a few minutes earlier.

Are the NYRB that bad that in 3 games they have no offensive goals and lost to a team yesterday that played a man down for the game and without it’s “best” player.

As Kartik has previously stated the one coach in MLS that has any tactical acumen in Osorio. Since most MLS results don’t matter due to the playoff system and the general mediocrity of the league these early loses for New York aren’t that worrying.

The attendance issues in LA and DC may be properly explained but the rest of the league is seeing a downturn in attendance. RSL’s opening game crowd was smaller than any crowd last season. KC’s crowd yesterday was smaller than any reported crowd last year and Dallas 2nd game was lower than any reported crowd last year.

The league has problems. It always has had problems. The TV ratings are still far below where they were promised to be at this point and without DC and LA anchoring the league you have essentially two recent expansion teams as the poster children for a 14 year old league.

While the complaints about the Post are valid, MLS quality has declined and with the black eye of the Beckham debacle and the downturn in the economy, any expectation that MLS is going to surge is ridiculous.

The fact that the EPL is getting better ratings on a pay channel than MLS is on basic cable is very telling about what the core american soccer fan thinks of the league.

Can we discuss the one game involving an american club team that really matters, the Islanders tomorrow night?

The lily white crowd that attends the Capitols games has to share trains with Latins and they hate it. The Post plays to this sentiment and also to the NIMBYs who are scared of a bunch of Bolivians showing up in their neighborhood when United plays…

The fact is that most games are meaningless and the stadium experience has no juice.

So-called ultras are no help because they add an element of artificiality and affectation through which observant sports fans can see. One could praise them for providing atmosphere but one could also criticize them for being overwrought and a turn-off.

The fact is that most people associate the MLS game day experience with no-life nerds. Being around them is depressing.

Garber extols the Toronto fans – what a bunch of beauts they are – but the fact is that the snideness that they have introduced is toxic to the mainstream sporting culture in the US. The same has to be said for guys with wrap-arounds and bass drums who claim to be prepared to give their lives for DC United or Chicago of whoever. It’s weird. It’s fake. And it’s a problem.

Argue with me if you wish. But I’m not the guy sweating the future of MLS. I’ve wasted too much time pointing out the obvious. If it survives, great. If not, well, I’m more into hiking these days, anyway. The White Mountains aren’t going anywhere.

Joey Clams, Ryu wasn’t trying to feel superior. He was calling a spade a spade. It’s a pretty accurate description of the mentality of the Capitals and Nationals fans. The Post editors tend to fall into the Caps/Nats demographic.

For Ian and others, I don’t get why you seem to want the league to fail. It’s one thing to criticize it out of hope that it recognizes its mistakes and gets better. Why would you be indifferent to it failing, or even want it to fail? If MLS goes, USL will follow. Then we won’t have another pro soccer league here in our lifetimes. That’s depressing. Our national team will decline in quality. Don’t tell me that our Euro based players will sustain our national team. How will future Americans ever get noticed by any professional teams in another country without MLS? How will the game grow without something for the youth players to look up to? How will our coaching and technical training methods continue to improve without a pro league to constantly test them?

The game won’t continue growing in our country with only EPL pay-per-view to go on. It will stay a niche sport forever. The “mainstream” will retain the attitudes that the current Washington Post editorial staff currently has.

RYU was advertising his superiority. He derides “Caps fans” without considering their points of view and he presumes that he’d have no problem with the unruliness of soccer fans if they were in his “backyard.”

The suggestion that Post editors are racist, like Caps fans, is a hoot as is the suggestion that opposition to a soccer stadium can only be down to racism.

11,000 in Chicago better then the average NHL attendance for many years. The White Sox get about 20,00 with walk ups on a good night. Bulls, Cubs, and Bears are another story.

Weather is a huge factor for early season games in the Midwest take a look at the non-opening day crowds for MLB who play out doors and you well see that MLS is doing good. In Chicago, many youth soccer groups, club teams, park teams, high school teams come to the Fire games. A day like yesterday keeps them away. Also this is a big factor, youth group activities are hurt by the economic crisis. A group I am associated with for instance is having limited attendance at extra events due to money being tight or worse.

My view from the Windy City is that soccer is growing and is strong in the face of a weak economy. It’s a great value btw.

I want MLS to survive. I agree with Cavan. If MLS collapses, USL follows and the USMNT then is reduced to pre 1990 state.

But that’s why Garber and his arrogance need to move on. The over reliance on Canada and foreign players while not helping core, long term markets and making ridiculous press statement and allowing the league to sink in CONCACAF events have hurt MLS and by extension US Soccer long term.

Retire, Don. For the good of the game do it. You’ll get a great send off ceremony and always be remembered fondly if you leave soon.

“If MLS collapses, USL follows and the USMNT then is reduced to pre 1990 state.

But that’s why Garber and his arrogance need to move on. The over reliance on Canada and foreign players while not helping core, long term markets and making ridiculous press statement and allowing the league to sink in CONCACAF events have hurt MLS and by extension US Soccer long term.”

Your first and third sentences contradict each other.

There was a post on this blog about it earlier: the MLS does not play a large role in the development of American talent.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I think the problem is that the league is near a ceiling with fans that are going to get on board because they are drawn to a supporter’s culture first and the quality of play second. For the league to increase it’s attendance and ratings, it has no choice but to move up the global hierarchy of soccer leagues.

As has been repeated numerous times, there are plenty of soccer fans in the U.S and Canada. There are 40 million Hispanics living in the U.S. and over 3/4ths of them come from soccer nations. But in order to capture that market you have to earn their respect.

Soccer is a passion in Latin America. So much so that if I’m playing a pick up game with fellow Latin Americans/Latinos/Hispanics and you flub a cross or fail to put a free kick in the right spot, you get yelled at/scoffed/looked at and probably never see the ball again….you lose respect.

I actually don’t think the league has to go out of it’s way to play “pretty football.” I think it has to gain international respect. What if the league doubled the salary cap? Could it win the CONCACAF Champions League? Could it make a run at the World Club Championship? Could it win it enough so that it got invited to Copa Libertadores?

I think it’s possible if they could bring in better international talent. Look at the Mexican League. How many of its top players are Mexican? I think that if the league did better internationally, it would earn the respect of those who love the game. I’m just not sure how much of an increase in the salary cap it would take and whether the owners are ready to “double down” on the league’s viability. But I sure hope so.

The best thing for the MLS and soccer in North America right now would be an announcement that the US is getting the World Cup. That would spark instant interest in the league again and give an excuse to increase the salary cap…

The low standard of play in MLS means the league’s fan base is at a ceiling without expansion. Each expansion city brings new fans but does not expand the fan base in longtime MLS cities. Columbus is an exception, but New England, DC, New York, Dallas, Colorado and Kansas City have had about the same sized fan base since 2000.

Thanks for your article Kartik. I’ve long suspected that Galaxy were financially supporting other teams. Its a shame to see how DC united have peetered out a bit. They seemed destined for great things in S. America competitions. Hopefully, Toronto and Seattle will see the situation in DC and LA and fight against that possibility occuring with them- of restricted salary cap and supporting other long-unprofitable teams. Could anything be done? I mean is it feasible that MLS could ease up on the salary cap going into the July transfer period? All this talk of expansion really needs to be slowed down now that Vancouver and Portland are in. Shore up Chicago and the coastal cities(Hou, LA, SJ, NY, NE, DC). When they easily average 20k…then MLS can talk again of expansion.

Chicago fans of any sport have never been called wimps. Show up at any park in Chicago and you’ll see what passion means. Take in Toyota Park on a Saturday night. Tell some guys in Section 8 they are wimps or tell some bleacher bums at Wrigley they lack interest.

epl: The White Sox average way more than 20,000 a game. I believe it’s more than 30,000. The Sox fanbase is as passionate and devoted as any in pro sports.

kyle: You’re right about Goats USA. Stupid idea. It’s pretty much a bastardization of the legendary Goats name.

Maybe the league should appeal to Hispanics more. Change the name of the league to something in Spanish. Have alternate Spanish names for each team. Maybe then it can steal away fans of the Mexican league.

Kartik,
what is wrong with RFK besides the fact that it has the upper deck. Can’t they design advertising around the upper deck so that it does not appear as empty, I think they have already done this. I went to a game there last season and thought it was a great venue. I don’t understand the logic of building a brand new stadium, please explain.